Movie Reviews

"Carry On Jack (1963) was the series first historical epics and is easily the most forgetable. Its not so much that its a bad film, but whats lacking in this is the true spirit of the Carry On's, probably as there are so many of the regulars missing - theres no Sid James, Joan Sims, Barbara Windsor, Hattie Jaques or Kenneth Connor. Only Kenneth Williams and Charles Hawtrey are the main regulars to be featured in this, though Jim Dale has a cameo role in this who starred in many of the 1960's Carry On's. Bernard Cribbins, who to be fair, blends in with the cast as though he'd always been a regular, plays Albert Poop-Decker, an unlucky man, who after years of struggle, finally wins his commission only to have his identity, rank and uniform stolen from him by Sally (Juliet Mills) who he soon falls in love with. The historical accuracy is impressive with the sets and the costumes but this Carry On film misses its mark slightly though Kenneth Williams and Charles Hawtrey are on fine form throughout. An adequate comedy.However the real reason to get this DVD (which compensates for the patchy Carry On Jack) is the inclusion of one of the series best and most fondly remembered entries in the series - Carry On Cleo (1964). When the great epic disaster Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor was abandoned from filming at Pinewood Studios, the Carry On team took full advantage of the lavish sets and extravagent costumes, making it all look and seem more expensive than usual. The hopeless Hengist Pod (Kenneth Connor) comes up with the idea of a square wheel to stop carts from rolling downhill - amusing stuff! However he and his neighbour (Jim Dale) are soon captured by invading Romans and are rapidly sold off as slaves. Julius Caesar (a superb comic turn from Kenneth Williams, taking lines such as "oooo I do feel queer" and "Infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me" to new heights) has caught the flu from Britains damp climate and is unaware that his best general, Mark Antony (Sid James) has joined up with Cleopatra (played beautifully by Amanda Barrie), Queen of Egypt, to overthrow him.
Carry On Cleo is consistently amusing with Kenneth Williams and Sid James putting in one of their finest roles in the series. Charles Hawtrey also crops up hilariously being as overly camp as ever, in the role of Seneca whilst Joan Sims plays Calpurnia, which she plays to perfection as the tempramental, nagging, vase-throwing wife of Julius Caesar and this type of characterisation eratically became something of her trademark in the series. One of the very best in the series and was certainly the finest film they'd made up to this point. Classic British comedy at its very best!"

A gigantic hit and a tremendous disaster

A. Grossman | Florence, Oregon USA | 03/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Carry On Jack is a terrible film and never should have been released on DVD but .... Carry On Cleo is far and away the best Carry On film ever. Everything is right and the gorgeous Amanda Barrie makes the bloated Elisabeth Taylor look like a reject. Almost every time she appears she seems to be taking a milk bath. It's easy to see why Caesar and Anthony desire her. How can Leonard Maltin give this only two stars? Of course he gave Charlotte's Web three stars so he's not to be taken too seriously.

Carry On Cleo and Amanda Barrie are so great that this release gets five stars even though Carry On Jack should have long ago been buried in an unmarked grave."

"The problem with comedy is that it changes from generation to generation. What was funny forty years ago isn't necessarily as funny today. The problem with the Carry On films is that they are indicative of an era, with a brand of humour that comes across today as almost quaint and charming. Whether you like you like Carry On Cleo will depend on whether you like your humour peppered with silly one-liners and almost slapstick laughs.

Carry on Cleo is meant to be a cheap take on Cleopatra, and it's all very funny for about the first thirty minutes, but then rapidly becomes a bore, with the same old jokes recycles over and over again. The story skewers history with Julius Caesar (Kenneth Williams) returning to Rome after conquering Britain to encounter an uprising and trouble abroad from Cleopatra (Amanda Barry).

Mark Antony (Sid James) is sent to Egypt to murder her, but falls in love with her beauty, while two British slaves (Kenneth Connor) and (Jim Dale) are caught up in the conspiracy to assassinate Caesar. Meanwhile, the plump Calpurnia (Joan Sims) constantly nags Julius, while her cackling father Seneca (Charles Hawtrey) keeps prophesizing gloom and doom for the beleaguered Roman Emperor.

Because it was made in 1964, Carry on Cleo consists of a few more sexual double-entendres than in the previous films, but by today's standards they are still very tame. There's the usual over-the-top misogyny, which now comes across as rather innocent. Carry On Cleo is also notable for the lavish production design. The producers managed to get permission to film on the leftover sets from the Elizabeth Taylor film Cleopatra the previous year. They also used some of the many costumes, so the film looks expensive.

Directed by Gerald Thomas, Carry on Cleo is probably one of the better films in the series, and the laughs come thick and fast. This film is pretty enjoyable although I found that today ninety minutes is just a bit too long for this type of humor. Mike Leonard May 06. "